Monterey County crops decline in value after pandemic and fires
MONTEREY COUNTY ā Crop values fell in 2020 by a total of $499 million from 2019, with 2020ās total at $3.9 billion, according to the Monterey County Crop Report issued by Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales on July 20.
The 11.3% decrease in production...
Regional drone program lands $1M grant
SALINAS VALLEY ā University of California Santa Cruzās CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) along with several partners has received a $1 million, 15-month planning grant to support regional drone education and workforce development from the James Irvine Foundation.
The funds will be...
āBerryā Bliss: Thousands flock to 2025 Salinas Valley Fair for food, fun, music and tradition
KING CITY ā The 81st annual Salinas Valley Fair brought thousands of fairgoers to King Cityās Salinas Valley Fairgrounds from May 15 to 18, delivering on its promise of āThe Berry Best Fair.ā With a theme honoring the regionās rich agricultural heritage, this yearās...
Food banks provide helping hand to Salinas Valley farmworkers
KING CITY ā Celebration Nation is continuing to host food banks for local farmworkers in the Salinas Valley, with the next two events planned for King City and Greenfield on upcoming Saturdays.
The nonprofit, launched in 2020 to support farm-working communities in California, currently schedules food...
Monterey County Board of Supervisors to mark 50th anniversary of āEl Cortitoā ban
SALINAS VALLEY ā Monterey County Board of Supervisors will host a special ceremony on Tuesday, June 10, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a landmark legal case that arose out of the Salinas Valley and outlawed the use of āEl Cortito,ā or the short-handled...
Guest Column | How Farmworkers Outlawed āEl Cortitoā 50 Years Ago
For decades in the Salinas Valley, the short-handle hoe, known as āEl Cortito,ā was used for weeding and thinning rows of crops that kept farmworkers stooped over for long hours each day. Workers were only able to stand and stretch when they reached the...
Dangerous herbicide used on California crops banned
SALINAS VALLEY ā A dangerous herbicide banned immediately by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been sprayed on crops in many California counties and has contaminated groundwater in low concentrations in the Salinas Valley and Santa Barbara County.
The weed-killing chemical, known as DCPA or...
King City Planning Commission delays closure decision on farmworker housing
KING CITY ā King City planning commissioners have delayed a final decision on the Meyers Farmworker Housing Facility until their Oct. 7 meeting.
The 4-0 vote came during the Planning Commissionās Aug. 19 meeting, where numerous community members, business owners and farmworkers spoke out on...
Mass vaccination clinics launch throughout Salinas Valley
SALINAS VALLEY ā Monterey County companies, organizations and agencies have partnered to host mass vaccination sites weekly, with the latest having taken place at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City last Saturday.
Two mass clinics had already taken place earlier this month in Salinas,...
State awards $10M to Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency for groundwater monitoring, outreach
SALINAS VALLEY ā California Department of Water Resources has awarded more than $10 million in funding to the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) through the Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program to support implementation of SVBGSAās state-mandated groundwater sustainability plans in four...


















